Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We have been probing the issue of the establishment of Irish Water because of our concerns. Deputy Cowen said he received an apology. I have not received mine yet. I asked a number of questions throughout last year on costs, including the cost of outside expertise and consultants. Those questions were not answered. Any answers I did get were nonsense. The Ministers completely sidestepped the questions in the Chamber and this is on record. Rather than asking the Minister for an apology, I ask him to send me one page with the relevant figures for last year. I have heard all the figures being talked up, down, backwards and forwards. Either deliberately or as a result of confusion, the figures have been presented in such a hodgepodge way over recent months that they have clouded over and distorted what is happening. Money comes in and out and revenue has been raised from various sources for Uisce Éireann, including the National Pensions Reserve Fund.

Anybody who has ever sat on the board of a small business or run a household would know how to proceed. It is very simple: on one side of a page one puts down what came in during 2013 and on the other side one puts down what went out, in addition to the sources. The Minister and two Ministers of State are present today with their most senior officials. I ask them to produce the figures for me. The way we were treated over the past year was a disgrace. We were deliberately misled over the past 12 months when we probed this. We had no answers for the public on how the agency would be established, the sources of funding, how the moneys would be spent and what was taking place. I feel aggrieved and annoyed by it. People elect me, in addition to the other 165 Members, to come here to represent them, and we should be able to get answers. Opposition spokespersons on these matters were deliberately misled, and information was deliberately withheld from us. I take no pleasure in stating that. I normally do not talk strongly on matters.